Spring holder for vehicles



Feb. 27, 1940. F. B. HEWEL ,1

SPRING HOLDER F ofi VEHICLES 4 7 Filed June so, 1937 WITNESSES: INVENTORZhZMeJA WI/T 7 f 5 I W (L ATTORN EY ntedFeb.27,1940 v h I 2,191,528 t SPATENT OFFICE 2,191,528 i SPRING HOLDER FOR-VEHICLES Frank B. Hewel,Pittsburgh, Pa. Application June 30, 1937, Serial No. 151,082 7 6Claims. (01. zen- 54) v UNITED, STATE My invention relates to springholders or means of my spring mounting means 4 attached mountings forvehicles, and it has for one obto the end of the leaf spring.

ject to provide a relatively simple but effective The vehicle frame, theaxle and its mounting holder or mounting from the standpoint of the onthe central portion of the leaf spring 3 may leaf springs and also ofthe vehicle frame. be of any familiar type and need-not be described .5

Che object of my invention is to provide a in detail here. vehiclespring structure comprising the usual se- The leaf spring 3 is also of afamiliar type in ries of spring leaves of different lengths, togetherwhich, as the leaves progress from the outer to with a holder orreceiving me'mber slotted ,to fit the inner laye t y become raduallylonger. x,1 the ends of a plurality of the leaves, the holder However,the longest spring leaf H5 preferably 10 being pivotally attached to thevehicle frame. has a lateral projection or downwardly-turned A morespecific object of my invention is to end portion or ridge 5. provide anelongated member slotted to fit the My spring mounting means 4 isprovided with ends ofa plurality of the spring leaves and hav-v anelongated body portion 1 having contiguous ing an aperture locatedbeyond the leaf ends and, slots 8 and 9 of different lengths to fit theends extending transversely thereof, together with aof the correspondingdifferent-length spring pivotal connection extending through saidaperleaves l6 and H, the outer end of upper slot 8 ture for connectingthe holder to the vehicle extending downwardly to properly accommodateframe and anchor end portion 5 of upper leaf H5. The

' Another object of my invention is to provide a outer portions or armsIf! and l I of the elongated 26 drawing, wherein:

composite bearing structure for vehicle spring body 1 contact with andextend parallel to the mountings comprising parts interlocked againstleaf portions, and outer or upper arm l0 maybe relative axial movementand a plurality of arms secured to upp leaf y means of rivets having apivotal mounting within the bearing bolts ill, for example, passingthrough holes l9 structure and interlocked therewith against roin thearms [0 and H and correspo 110165 25 tary movement. near the end of leafspring l6.. In addition, the

A further object of my invention is to provide leaf spring ends areheld'in position by inner end i a vehicle spring mounting embodying allof the straps or id plates 0 n h a nd features mentioned above, wherebya simple and thereby also Preventing the Spreading Of these readilyapplied but rugged and effective spring arms.' In order to readilypermit riveting the 3'0 holding or mounting Structure is provided partsH] and 16 together, large openings 2! are Other objects of my inventionwill be come evi- P F arm H Qpposite the rivets dent from the followingdetailed description, After thls nvetmg Op'emtjmm P w w taken inconjunction with t accompanying turned end 5 of leaf It being disposedin its 1nterlooking position in slot 8, the remainder of the leaf springassembly may be completed, with leaf I! being adapted to slide in slot 9between leaf l6 and lower arm ll. i

It will be understood that, if desired, more than the two leaves I haveshown may be fitted into 40 a correspondingly slotted holder, followingthe teachings of my present invention. The end of the elongated bodyportion 1 remote from the'leaf spring 3 is substantially cylin- Figure 1is .a fragmentary view in side elevation ofa spring structure andvehicle frame organi zed in accordance with my present'invention; Fig. 2is an enlarged bottom plan view of the spring mounting means shown inFig. 1;

' Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of this spring mounting means,certain of the parts being shown in section; I h

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the h drical in form, asindicated at 2, and a comspung f e taken along the 1mg posite bearingstructure l3 extends through an 'T aperture or eye in the cylindricalportion l2 and 5 15 an F d Vlew cerFam of the at its ends is attached toa plurality of shackle parlfs 0f t i f 4; i arms M which are alsosecured through a simi- 8 8 VIEW 1171 7316-6 elevatlon of a modlfied larbearing structure l5 to an adjacent end of'501 form of my spring holderor mounting. th hi 1 frame I, I

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawing, the The composite bearingstructure l3 (bearing structure there shown comprises a vehicle framestructure It being substantially identical) is I, together with an axlestructure 2 and a leaf shown as comprising a hollow steel cylinder or 5spring structure 3 interconnecting the two by shell 22press-fittedwithin the eye in the cylin- 55 within the eye incylindrical portion i2 and around bearing cylinder 25.

A suitable shaft, such as a shackle bolt 2?, having a head 28 at oneend, extends through, the

bearing 25 and is provided at its other end with a suitable castellatednut 23 which is held in place by means of a cotter pin 39 extendingthrough a hole in the outer threaded end of the bolt 2'! and beinglocked in the grooves of the nut 28.

In addition, a plurality of small lugs or tongues 3| are provided on theinner sides of the arms H adjaeent to the openings 33, through which thebolt 2'1 passes, these lugs fitting within slots or grooves 32 in theends of the bearing member 25, thus forming a tongue-and-grooveconnection at each end of the composite bearing structure.

interlopkins ridges 2B and grooves 2 3 which, of

course, might be interchanged Within the scope of my invention. The fitbetween the split bush ing 23 and the steel cylinder 22, if employed, isr a press fit, as is also the fit between the cylinder, 22 and thecylindrical portion iii of my vehicle mounting means. In addition,relative rotary movement of the arms M with respect to the bearingproper 25 is prevented by means of the ab0ve-described tongue-and-grooveconnection (3 i, 32).

In thisway, the parts of my composite bear ing structure are sointerlocked that the entire vehicle mounting structure may rotate aroundthe bolt 2? as a pivot, no longitudinal movement, either relative orotherwise, of the parts being permitted, while at the same time, norelative rotary movement between the arms H3 and the bearing proper 25and, therefore, between the arms it and the outer portions of thecomposite bearing structure is permitted.

Fig. 6 showsa modified form of mounting in which the aperture 555 at theouter end of my spring holder 36 may be relatively larger in di- Iameter than in the structure shown in the other figures and, inaddition, is located in substantial alinement with the ends of thespring leaves, instead of being disposed at a level above them as in theother figures. This modification will tend to relieve strain on the topleaf or leaves and make it possible to arch the leaves more, providingeasier riding. The enlarged eye or aperture 35 will permit the use ofrubber type bushings, if desired.

. It will thus be seen that I have provided a vehicle. spring mountingwhich is relatively simple in character and readily applied, having aminimum number of parts by reason of being connected directly'to thespring ends, and at the same time the bearing structures for permittingpivotal movement between the spring and the vehicle frame respectivelyhave their parts so in- I terlocked as to prevent undesired longitudinalor rotary movement thereof. I

I do not wish to be restricted to the specific.

structural details or arrangement of parts herein set forth, as variousfurther modifications thereof may be effected without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention. I desire, therefore, that only suchlimitations shall be imposed thereon asare indicated by the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vehicle spring structure comprising a plurality of spring leavesofdifferent lengths, an elongated member having top and bottom armsextending lengthwise of said leaves, said arms; having an irregular slotbetween them to fitthe.

ends of a plurality of said leaves and-having an aperture extendingtransversely thereof, and

means mounted in said aperture for pivotally attaching said member tothe vehicle frame.

2. A vehicle. spring structure comprising a plurality of spring leavesof different lengths, one of said leaves having a lateral projection atits end, an elongated member having 'top and bottom arms extendinglengthwise of said leaves, said arms having an irregular slot betweenthem to fit the ends of a plurality of said leaves: including saidprojection and having an aperture 8X5 tending transversely thereof, andmeans mounted in said aperture for pivotally attaching said mem ber tothe vehicle frame.

3. A vehicle spring structure comprising a plurality of spring leaves ofdifferent lengths, a receiving member having top and bottom armsextending lengthwise of said leaves, said arms have ing an irregularslot between them to fit the'ends of a plurality of said leaves, asecuring member extending through one arm. of said receiving member andonly one of said leaf ends, a contig uous leaf end being freely slidablewithin said slot on said one leaf end, and means for attaching saidmember to the vehicle frame.

, 4. A vehicle spring structure comprising a plurality of spring leavesof different lengths, elongated member having top and bottom armsextending lengthwise of said leaves, said arms having an irregular slotbetween them to fit the ends of a plurality of said leaves and havinganaperture extending transversely thereof, a securing member extendingthrough the top arm of said elongated member and'only the upper.- mostof said leaf ends, a contiguous leaf end being freely slidable withinsaid slot on said uppermost leaf end, and means mounted in said aperturefor pivotally attaching said member to the vehicle frame.

, 5. A vehicle spring structure comprising a plug rality of springleaves of different lengths, an

elongatedmember having top and bottom arms" extending lengthwise of saidleaves, said arms having an irregular slot between them to fit the endsof a plurality of said leaves and having an aperture extendingtransversely thereof, acornposite bearing structure mountedin said apereture, one part of said bearing structure having a peripheral roundedridge and a contiguous part a corresponding groove to prevent relativeaxial movement but permit relative rotational movement'of said parts, ashaft fitting within and movable with one of said parts, and a'pluralityof arms mounted upon said shaft and interlocked with that part withwhich said shaft is movable.

6. A vehicle spring structure comprising a plurality of spring leaves ofdifierent lengths, an

elongated member having top and bottom arms extending lengthwise of saidleaves, said arms having an irregular slot between them to fit the ends.of a plurality of said leaves and having an aperture extendingtransversely thereofla composite bearing structure mounted in saidaperture, one part of said bearing structure having a peripheralprotuberance and. a contiguous part rality of arms secured to said shaftand having a tongue-and-groove connection with said other part.

FRANK B. HEWEL.

